DEVELOPMENT OF LEUCADENDRON SINGLE STEM CUT FLOWERS

Although leucadendrons are traditionally marketed as greens/foliage-type flowers, a high market demand potentially exists for superior quality Leucadendron single stem cut flowers as a separate product.
A problem with Leucadendron is that the desireable cut flower combination of attractive large flower heads, long flowering branches and a high yield is almost impossible to find within a single species.
Therefore interspecific crosses must necessarily be used to combine good qualities from different species.
A three-phase programme was launched to breed such leucadendrons: 1) testing for cross compatibility amongst species; 2) an interspecific hybridization programme and 3) selection, and evaluation of the programme.
The test study showed that Leucadendron species hybridize comparatively well within the sub-genus Alatosperma.
In the hybridization programme vigorous, high yielding, F₁ hybrids with exceptionally long stems and attractive, large flower heads were found.
In addition these selections have a relatively wide seasonal flowering/marketable period.

III International Protea Research Symposium

G.C. van den Berg, G.J. Brits

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1995.387.23